. The deserted village . *J~be basbjcil virgins side-long looks of love,, The matrons ^la nee that would those looks reflects the day,But choked wilh sedges, works its weedy way:Along thy glades, a solitary guest,The hollow-sounding bittern guards its nest;Amidst thy desert walks the lapwing flies,And tires their echoes with unvaried are thy bowers in shapeless ruin all,And the long grass oertops the mouldering wall;And, trembling, shrinking from the spoilers hand,Far, far away thy children leave the land. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,Where wealth accumulat
. The deserted village . *J~be basbjcil virgins side-long looks of love,, The matrons ^la nee that would those looks reflects the day,But choked wilh sedges, works its weedy way:Along thy glades, a solitary guest,The hollow-sounding bittern guards its nest;Amidst thy desert walks the lapwing flies,And tires their echoes with unvaried are thy bowers in shapeless ruin all,And the long grass oertops the mouldering wall;And, trembling, shrinking from the spoilers hand,Far, far away thy children leave the land. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey,Where wealth accumulates, and men decay:Princes and lords may flourish, or may fade,A breath can make them, as a breath has made;But a bold peasantry, their countrys pride,When once destroyed, can never be supplied. A time there was, ere Englands griefs began,When every rood of ground maintaind its man;For him light labour spread her wholesome store,Just gave what life required, but gave no more;His best companions, innocence and health,And his best riches, ignorance of wealth. But times are altered; trades unfeeling trainUsurp the, land, and
Size: 2360px × 1059px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1800, bookiddesertedvill, bookyear1800
